Faster loading and "pushing the limits of the visuals" - what Assassin's Creed Origins gets from Xbox One X

Assassin's Creed Origins is going big on Xbox One X, pushing its 'enhanced' capabilities as the definitive version of the game. But what does that really mean? We spoke to director Ashraf Ismail to find out more.

“It’s a wonderful thing as a developer to not have to worry about your game looking good," says Ismail. "I don’t say that out of ego. I say it out of a humbleness to our artists, engineers and technical artists, these people who are extremely talented. They pour their love and soul into the game and we can trust the fact that the game is going to be absolutely stunning and beautiful."

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On Xbox One X that means the Assassin's Creed developers can, "push that to its limit, to be able to showcase their work," according to Ismail. "This is the one thing with the Xbox One X: we have more memory to play with, a faster processor, so we’re definitely able to push the limits of those visuals."

As Ismail puts it, "the game looks stunning," pointing out that "some of the draw distances are absolutely incredible." One example he highlights is reaching the top of one of the great pyramids. "To be able to show it off and see the sun flickering off the waters of the Nile, it’s breathtaking," he says. "I think it enhances the game and allows the game to shine at its best capacity. It’s great for us and great to show off our talented artists work.”

It's worth remembering the differences are all cosmetic: "in terms of experience it’s really the same across all the consoles in terms of the content experience," Ismail reminds us. "The quests, the things you experience in the game [are the same], but on the Xbox One X it’s definitely allowing the visual element of the game to shine." Although there is one Xbox One X benefit the other consoles won't get: "it’s slightly faster in terms of loading, that kind of stuff."